What Does The Red Hunting Hat Symbolize

Semantics of Symbolism

Depression is an invisible illnesses of the brain; not noticeable to the to the outside word, but so overwhelmingly present in one’s mind attacking them from the inside out. Chemical imbalances cause feelings of low self esteem, panic, depression and even physical pain. Coping mechanisms like medication, meditation, exercise, etc. are used to combat the effects of this illness. But what will actually work? How does someone fix something that's ‘not there’? J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher In The Rye, tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a troubled boy haunted by his own demons who escapes to New York after failing out of his fourth school. Holden wanders around the city, with no place to stay, no one to talk

to, and the darkness of depression surrounding him. Holden is left having to fend for himself. Many symbols in the book have important roles in Holden’s journey weighted by depression. As Holden’s emotions run wild, he relies on these symbols to navigate through the ups and downs of depression and adulthood. In The Catcher In The Rye, symbols like the red hunting hat, the ducks in central park, the catcher in the rye, and the carousel develop the themes of protection, connection with others, and the painfulness of growing up.
The red hunting hat, catcher in the rye and the carousel contribute to how Holden protects himself in The CAtcher In The Rye. Holden’s red hunting hat helps to develop the theme of protection because of the emotional protection it gives Holden throughout the story. The day before Holden leaves his boarding school Pencey Prep he takes the train with his fencing team to a tournament, and because he was the team captain Holden was in charge of bringing the equipment for the game. After Holden arrives back at Pencey that night we learn that he had forgotten the equipment bag on the subway train and his team was not able to play. This is the first time we are introduced to the red hunting hat, when Holden gets back to his doorns he explains the red hunting hat had ”very long peaks. [and that he] saw it in the window of this sports store when [the team] got out of the subway, just after [he] noticed [he’d] lost all the goddam foils. It only cost [him] a buck.” (Salinger, 17-18) This is the first example of how Holden uses the red hunting hat as a protection mechanism. When Holden bought the hat he was feeling frustrated because he had lost the fencing equipment because he was so distracted trying to read the map of the subway for directions. Buying and wearing this red hat gives him comfort and shielding him from his anxiety and scrutiny from the team. Holden can wear the hat and forget about his mistake and feel proud of the fact he got a hat that looks good on him and it was only one dollar, not focussing on his mistake. Another way the red hunting hat is used as holding security blanket; Towards the end of the book, when in Central Park with his sister Phoebe, Holden waits on a bench while Phoebe rides on the Carousel. After her first round on the Carousel Phoebe walks back to Holden and novices it's starting to rain. Holden tells her to go on again but before she leaves Phoebe takes out the red hunting hat and places it on Holden's head to protect him from the rain. The rain gets heavier and it starts to pour, Holden says, “My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way; but I got soaked anyway. I didn't care” (Salinger, 212) Although Holdent isn't being physically protected by the red hunting hat it offers him the emotional protection. Throughout the book Holden struggle with the idea of adulthood and loss of innocence, in this moment the he realizes that Phoebe still has her innocence and she doesn't need the hat to protect her because she is in her childhood. Holden has lost his innocence and the hat symbolises him trying to protect him from growing up into the adult world. As Holden continues his journey and continues to use the hat when he is feeling sad or depressed and especially when he is drunk. The catcher in the rye helps to develop the theme of protection because of Holden’s need to protect kids and their innocence. Holden's dream job is to be the catcher in the rye and ““catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...they're running and they don't look where they're going [he has] to come out from somewhere and catch them.”” (173) Holden wants to protects the kids innocence so they don't lose it at such a young age like he did, because Holden’s brother Allie died at such a young age Holden had to grow up prematurely. He feels the need to protect other children when they start to fall of the cliff and lose their innocence of the field. Holden particularly wants to protect his younger sister Phoebe’s innocence. The carousel in Central Park supports the theme of protection because of the how it symbolizes Phoebe’s innocence to Holden. As Holden watches his sister ride the carousel in the park he is relieved to find that his sister's childhood innocence is in tact. He says “I felt so damn happy all of sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around.”(213) By continuing to buy his sister tickets he can assure himself she is still innocent and restore his confidence in that his sister is still a kid. Although Holden lost his innocence at a young age the he is comforted by the innocence of his sister, his red hunting hat and his dream job of being the catcher in the rye.
The red hunting hat, ducks in Central Park and the catcher in the rye help Holden connect with others.

Throughout the book, Holden uses many unconventional ways to make a connection with others. Holden’s red hunting hat helps to develop this theme through his connection with his deceased brother Allie. Growing up, Holden’s brother Allie was his best friend. At 11 years old, Allie died of leukemia, devastating his family. In times of stress, Holden reaches out to his brother to look for support while in New York. The red hunting hat reminds Holden of his brother because of its bright red color that matched Allie’s fiery red hair. Although Holden has a hard time connecting to others, he can always rely on the red hunting hat to remind him of his brother and make him feel less alone. The ducks in Central Park help to develop the theme of connection with others by providing a topic of conversation for Holden and the cab driver during one of Holden’s lowest points in the book. While in the cab, Holden asks his driver: “‘you know those ducks in the lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance?’” (60). This interaction was one of the first Holden had in New York after he left his boarding school. Holden’s repetition in the question shows his weakened mental state and how desperate he is to talk to someone. The catcher in the rye helps to

develop the theme of connection with others by giving him a sense of importance and the opportunity to help preserve the innocence of children at risk of losing themselves. For Holden, connecting with children seems to be easier than with other adults. Especially Holden’s younger sister, Phoebe, with whom he has a very strong connection and seems to have an easy time communicating with than any other adult. Holden’s kinship towards younger children helps him to connect to others in the book in a simpler way. While wandering the streets of New York searching for his sister, Holden runs into a young girl trying to tie her skates and walks over to ask if she’s seen Phoebe. Even though she doesn’t know, Holden helps her tie her skates and asks her if she wants to go get a hot chocolate. Holden’s desperation for a personal connection drives him to asking a young girl out to save him from his isolation. Often throughout the book, Holden blames his alienation on the other phonies in the world and uses unique ways to end his self-isolation.
The ducks in Central Park, red hunting hat, carousel and catcher in the rye develop the theme of painfulness of becoming an adult.

The ducks in Central Park help develop the theme of the painfulness of becoming an adult by showing us how difficult it is for Holden to make adult decisions. Holden is using the ducks in Central Park as a metaphor for himself. During the winter time ducks migrate to South when the winter season in New York City is too harsh for them. In this transition period where Holden is alone in New York he has no direction, and no parent or adult to tell him where to go or be. He is, for the first time, needing to make decisions on where to go in this adult world. Holden is in the winter of his life, and his old school Pencey Prep is the frozen over lake, but unlike the duck Holden has no destination. Holden “wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if [the ducks] just flew away.” (13) This is Holden calling out for direction and hoping someone will taking him away. When he arrives in New York Holden asks his cab driver, "You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South?...By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?" (61) Despite its unconventional nature, this is Holden’s way of asking for directions. The cab driver job is to drive others people to where they are supposed to be, and Holden hopes he can tell him where he is supposed to go. His world

is frozen over and thinking he is just a kid Holden struggles to find himself in an adult world. Holden’s red hunting hat also help develop the theme of the painfulness of becoming an adult because of the emotional state Holden is in when he puts the hat on. The red hunting hat is an example of Holden trying to deal with the harshness of becoming an adult. Holden uses the hat to protect him from the loss of innocence in childhood that prematurely threw him into the adult world. Growing up Holden was put on the fast track to being an adult after his brother’s death, he had to be mature, and deal with a lot of things most young kids don't or shouldn't have too. Holden lost his best friend, and the red hunting hat is Holden's way of protecting himself in this adult world he is trapped in New York City. Almost like a child's security blanket Holden carries the hat around and puts it on when he is depressed or lonely. The hat is the remembrance of his lost innocence and how it brought him to becoming an adult. Holden's dream job of becoming the Catcher in the Rye help develop the theme of the painfulness of becoming an adult because of Holden's high value of innocence which he lost his at such a young age. Holden connects to and feels a kinship towards kids. When Holden tells Phoebe, his younger sister, about why he wanted to be The Catcher in the Rye. Holden says, “I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff ” (173) It shows how important it is to Holden to keep innocence. He does not want other children to lose innocents like he did, and have to endure the pain of being an adult. Holden believes that children should be able to fall off the cliff into adulthood too soon and keep their innocence. The carousel in Central Park help develop the theme of the painfulness of becoming an adult because of its importance to Holden acceptance of his loss of innocence and realizing his sister's is still. When Holden’s younger sister is on the carousel the continuous circular motion represents how life will always go on and even with the ups and down of the horses symbolising the highs and lows of life as the world still goes on. Holden’s life as an adult started at a very young age and had many ups and down resulting in severe depression. Watching his sister on the carousel being carefree and having fun helps him realize and accept his adult life. The carousel gives his perspective of how much losing innocence of being a child affected him forced him to become an adult. Although, Holden isn’t a kid and never got to be one he finds joy in knowing that his little sister still has her innocence. Holden says, “I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth... she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around” (213) He is assured of Phoebe’s innocence and admires her joyfulness as the carousel keeps turning, her life is continuing to turn surrounded by innocence. This is the only time Holden describes himself as happy and didn’t look at growing up as the worst thing in the world. Holden concludes that even though innocence is important for a kid to have you have to let them take risks and grow up even thought it might be dangerous. Holden may not be able to protect kids from becoming an adult, but learns to accept the fact that change and growing up is a constant must in life and the pain of becoming an adult may be necessary for grow.
Many symbols in the Catcher In The Rye establish themes throughout the book. Holden’s red hunting hat, the ducks in Central Park, the catcher in the rye, and the carousel establish themes of protection, connection with others and the painfulness of growing up throughout Holden’s journey. J.D. Salinger writes through the eyes of a teen about the struggles of depression and how losing innocence can affect a child’s life. Holden’s story continues to be relatable today and brings awareness to the effects of anxiety, depression and sheds light on the tremendous influence of losing a loved one especially at a young age. Holden and his story offer a relatable connection to the reader and a haven of escapism from a familiar struggle they might be facing.